Have you ever wondered why you are always finding small animals, or animal droppings, all around the front part of your garage? The garage door looks like it is closed, so how can those critters get in to rove around your garage at night? The answer may be simpler than you think.

How Do They Get Inside?

Lizards, insects, and rodents can squeeze through all sorts of holes to get where they want to go. While often these "visitors" aren't, in themselves, harmful, they can be annoying or become destructive, especially if you store any type of food or perishable items in the garage.

Holes aren't always obvious, either. Sometimes, a "hole" can just be an uneven fit between the bottom of your garage door and the pavement. Other times, that same entrance can be a gap that has worn away on the sides where the garage door comes down, or a misalignment at the top of the garage door.

How Do You Close Garage "Holes?"

There are many things that you can do to fix some of the smaller problems that cause entry points into your garage. The most obvious wear point is the seal at the bottom of your garage door, where the door and pavement meet. There are various types of seals, so a solid choice is to identify what type you have and then replace it with the same type. If your door is even along the bottom and the pavement is flat and even, then that new seal may be all you need.

For holes along the sides, again, you have several options. Often, gaps form over time as side panels wear away, sealant breaks, or rodents gnaw their way into your garage. You can replace the side panels completely and repaint them to match. If you need a faster (or less cut-intensive fix), you can buy flexi-foam and the foam will expand to fill the gap; then, just cut away the excess foam to form a tight seal.

There are cases where you have a more severe problem. In these situations, having a garage repair service come out may be your best option. For example:

• The bottom of your garage door is bent or the track that holds the bottom seal is broken: a repair company may be able to straighten out the door or replace the track to provide a straight surface before re-attaching the bottom seal.
• The sides of your garage door have gaps between the frame and the door: this could be caused by a misaligned or bent rail that can be moved back into place or replaced.
• There is a gap at the top of your door: again, the rail may be out of alignment and need to be adjusted.
• The door is stuck open: while this is an obvious "hole," it is also a situation where you need a garage door service to come diagnose and fix the problem, as it could be a combination of factors.

If the problem is too severe, you may have to ultimately look at replacing the garage door. The good news is that there are many, relatively easy fixes you can do to stop rodents and insects from making a home out of your garage.